Oh Sleep, Where Are You?!?

In the past few weeks, sleep comes and goes.  I often have trouble falling asleep because I'm quite uncomfortable.  Or the baby is kicking the living daylights out of me.   (Active, active child!!)  When I finally get to sleep, I'm up every couple of hours to use the bathroom.  And then the baby is kicking and headbutting me again and again, so falling back asleep is problematic.  And at some point the dog decides there has been too much movement so she gets up and wakes me up.  And... eh - it's annoying. There's always something keeping me up.   

Last week, I was going to write a post, but I had only had 4 hours of sleep and I was cranky.  You know why I was mostly cranky?  Because people give stupid advice.  "Enjoy the sleep while you can."  Um.  yeah.  not sleeping anymore.  Maybe you should have told that to me EIGHT MONTHS AGO!!!!  MORON.  I mean, I have known for a long time that once the baby comes, there's no sleep...  I get it.  I'm ready for it.  Everyone knows that.  But no sleep now?  Why don't people bother to warn you about THAT?  THAT would have been useful information... but no - they just want to tell you what everybody already knows.  How is that "advice" possibly helpful?  In any way?!

You thought that previous paragraph came across as cranky?  Well, I got a full night's sleep (sort of) last night.  You really don't want to see the version that was written on virtually no sleep.  Ha - well, maybe you do.  But I deleted it already.   So sad for you.

The good thing for me is that after a couple of sleepless nights, I usually crash by the 3rd night and sleep through (mostly - a girl's got to use the bathroom!)

Today was our 34 week appointment and for the second appointment in a row, the baby was transverse.  Therefore, the midwife gave me homework.  First I have to do these funky inversions off the couch.  Second, I need to see a chiropractor who is certified in the Webster's Technique. Hopefully, by the next appointment the baby will be head down.  While they aren't worried about it yet, the idea is to do these natural techniques to help the baby go head down now before it becomes an issue.  Otherwise, they get to do other manipulations later on that are - well - painful.  And labor will be more difficult and longer.  And I'd likely end up with a C-section anyway.  So... yeah- fix it before it becomes a problem.

After the appointment I looked up a chiropractor and found that the only one certified in that technique in Alexandria happens to be in the building behind our apartment - AND our insurance covers that practice!  Sweet!  I called.  They had a new patient appointment time available this morning if I could make it in 30 minutes.  I could.  So I went.  And it was great.  After a scan and doing some initial checking of movements, it was obvious that my pelvis was slightly misaligned, making it difficult for the baby to go head down.  And it also explained why I have such bad round ligament pains on just one side.  I'll have a few more appointments in the upcoming weeks, but hopefully this will work out well for us.

Other than the lack of sleep and the baby that refuses to go head down, things are fantastic!  The pregnancy is still going very well.  I'm measuring perfectly on track.  And in 7 1/2 weeks - or less - there will be a baby Fortner among us.  (They will let me go one week past the due date then I have to see a special doctor, and then they will let me go another couple of days before inducing.  But that's it.  No longer than that.)

So - what's going on with this kid?

34 week stats:
- Baby is a cantaloupe - or 4.75 lbs roughly.
- And 18 inches long
- S/he is getting fatter/ rounder
- Central nervous system and lungs are maturing
- Recognizes and responds to simple songs.

AND... This kid kicks all day/ night.  We've decided that we're not having a baby - we're having a ninja.

So - is the ninja a boy or a girl?  We (meaning Belle) are taking bets now.

 And - let the kid party on... cause we are! (by the way... I've started to outgrow my small clothing... but only in the belly area.  LOL.  Dressing is starting to be a challenge again.)

 Happy Thursday!